Honda
CX500 Gallery

Unlike most other
vees, the CX500 has its cylinders mounted at
80° with the cylinders then twisted by 22°
so that the mixture goes straight from the hidden
carburettors into the combustion chamber and
out of the exhaust without any power-consuming
twists. Having that set-up also means that the
carburettors are conveniently out of the way
of the rider's legs. The main problem with the
twist of the cylinders is that it rules out
the possibility of employing overhead camshafts,
so the CX500 has instead a central cam operating
lengthy pushrods. These operate rockers on either
head which are connected to the four valves
per cylinder. Not only does the engine rev freely
with such efficient breathing, but it is also
powerful, producing 50bhp at 9000rpm.

Considering that Honda had a 500CC four-cylinder
machine at one time, the CX500 may seem
a backward step, but underneath is an advanced
technology which makes the middleweight
bike one of the most interesting.

1978 Honda CX500

Honda's offering in the increasingly popular
half-litre class is unlike any of its competitors,
and unlike any other Honda before, being
a water-cooled vee-twin, with a longitudinally
seated crankshaft.

The CX500 Turbo with which Honda stunned
the motorcycle world in 1982 was one of
the least likely bikes ever to be put into
production. The turbocharged V-twin was
large, heavy, complex and expensive. From
the moment it was unveiled, many observers
regarded the Turbo as more of a corporate
statement than a serious superbike.